Glen Burnie rallies to beat Old Mill, 62-60

Glen Burnie basketball coach Terry Bogle has a rule that any player with two fouls in the first half must stay on the bench until the third quarter.

"We like to have them at the end of the game, not at the start of it," he said.

Senior forward Vernon Osborne looked as if he wouldn't be around for the end of last night's game at Old Mill. But there he was, scoring 17 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter to lead Glen Burnie to its third straight win, a 62-60 comeback victory over the host Patriots.

Mired in foul trouble the entire night, Osborne had just two points at halftime. He came into the game averaging nearly 14.

He picked up his second foul late in the first quarter, and he returned to the bench after getting his fourth foul with 5:47 left in the third period. But he led a Glen Burnie rally in the last quarter, capped by his three-point play with two seconds left.

Without Osborne, the Gophers (8-2) found themselves down 48-40 after three quarters.

"It was painful watching them falling behind," Osborne said. "It was hurting me. I knew I could have been in there helping them.

"I knew when I had my final chance to come in and help them win the game, I was going to have to step it up another notch."

Osborne began the fourth quarter by making a three-point shot. He was fouled while making another three-pointer with 4:23 left, and the ensuing free throw reduced Old Mill's lead to 56-53.

He spun in the lane and scored to make it 58-57, and his two free throws with 28 seconds left put Glen Burnie ahead, 59-58. It was the Gophers' first lead since late in the opening half.

Old Mill's Nate Oliver scored inside off a feed from Todd Singleton (13 points) with nine seconds left, but Osborne took a bounce pass from Rocky Newton, made the basket and was fouled by George Epps with the clock winding down.

He completed the three-point play, and Old Mill (3-4) committed a turnover on its last possession.